Feature Story

“Earth is now our only shareholder” –

Patagonia Owner Donates Entire Company to Fight Climate Change

Sept. 15^th: Outdoor apparel company Patagonia announced Wednesday that its founder Yvon Chouinard and his family have transferred ownership of the entire company to a climate-focused non-profit and a newly created trust, with all future non-reinvested profits generated by the company dedicated to “protect the planet”.

The Patagonia brand was founded by Chouinard in 1973, and the Ventura, California-based company now owns and operates more than 70 stores globally, with estimated annual sales of approximately $1 billion. The company has been a long-time advocate of responsible business practices, becoming a B-Corp in 2011, and amending its articles of incorporation the following year, adopting a commitment to sustainability and treating workers well, and registering the business as a California Benefit Corporation. In 2018, Patagonia’s purpose was changed to “We’re in business to save our home planet.”

Wells Fargo Owes $22 Million for Alleged Whistleblower Axing

Sept. 1^st: Wells Fargo must pay a former commercial banking senior manager more than $22 million for allegedly firing the worker, who raised concerns about potential wire fraud, OSHA said Thursday. The financial services firm terminated the Chicago-area manager after they repeatedly contacted superiors and a corporate ethics hotline about purported directions to falsify customer information, the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleged. [More...]

How ESG Investing Got Tangled up in America's Culture Wars

Sept. 12^th: A growing number of Republican politicians are moving to penalize Wall Street investors who consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues when they decide where to put clients' money. In Florida, a state board chaired by Gov. Ron DeSantis recently barred investment fund managers and advisors from considering "social, political, or ideological interests" when making decisions for Florida's retirement system.  [More...]

ILO: 50 Million People Worldwide in Modern Slavery

Sept. 12th:  GENEVA (ILO News) –  Fifty million people were living in modern slavery in 2021, according to the latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery . Of these people, 28 million were in forced labour and 22 million were trapped in forced marriage. The number of people in modern slavery has risen significantly in the last five years.  [More...]

Child Labor Violations Reported at New England Restaurants, Including Dunkin’ and McDonald’s

Sept. 14^th: MANCHESTER, N.H. - The U.S. Department of Labor is highlighting child labor law violations it says it found at New England restaurants, including McDonald's and Dunkin' locations that allowed some 14 and 15-year-old employees to work too many hours, and to operate ovens and fryers that left a few young workers with burns. [More...]

H&M to Remove Sustainability Labels from Products Following Investigation by Regulator

Sept. 14^th: Fashion retailer H&M and sporting goods chain Decathlon have made commitments to the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) to remove sustainability-related labels from their products and websites, and to improve the use of sustainability claims in the future, following an investigation by the Dutch regulator. [More...]

Newsom Signs Sweeping Climate Legislation Into Law

Sept. 16^th: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a sweeping package of climate legislation into law on Friday, aiming to accelerate the Golden State’s transition to clean energy. Among the long list of initiatives to receive gubernatorial approval were measures to cut air pollution by 60% and reduce state oil consumption by 91% over the next two decades, according to the governor’s office. [More...]

Crisis-hit German Toilet Paper Maker Turns to Coffee Grounds

Sept. 18^th: Choked by soaring energy and wood pulp costs, German toilet paper maker Hakle is turning to waste from coffee production to stay afloat and help the environment. Huge quantities of coffee grounds are produced every year by the European food industry, and Hakle has found a way to transform the waste into material to make loo roll. [More...]

China’s State Owned Enterprises to Establish Chief Compliance Officer

Sept. 18^th: China's central government-owned companies should establish chief compliance officer and compliance reviews must be embedded in the business management process, a document released by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) said. Compliance management is a key institutional measure for enterprises to effectively prevent business risks and continuously improve corporate governance. [More...]

United Nations Announces 17 New Young Leaders For The Sustainable Development Goals

Sept. 21^st: The United Nations today announced the latest group of 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), during the start of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. Every two years, the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth recognizes 17 young change-makers who are leading efforts to combat the world’s most pressing issues and whose leadership is catalyzing the achievement of the SDGs.[More...]

Amazon Solidifies Position as Largest Corporate Purchaser of Renewable Energy with Over 70 New Solar and Wind Projects

Sept. 21^st: Amazon announced a significant increase in its clean energy sourcing today, unveiling 71 new wind and solar projects around the world, adding 2.7 GW of capacity, and solidifying its position as the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in the world. Following today’s announcement, Amazon now has a total of 379 renewable energy projects across 21 countries, including 154 wind and solar farms and 225 rooftop solar projects, representing 18.5 GW of capacity. [More...]

Renewable Energy Jobs Hit 12.7 Million Globally

Sept. 22^nd: New report confirms growth in renewable jobs despite multiple crises and calls for targeted industrial strategies to create stable supply chains and decent jobs. Worldwide employment in renewable energy reached 12.7 million last year, a jump of 700,000 new jobs in one year, despite the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the growing energy crisis, according to a new report from ILO. [More...]

Four-Day Workweek Going Well In U.K., Study Says

Sept. 27^th: Halfway into a six-month trial of four-day workweeks across the U.K., many participating companies have found it to be a preliminary success, according to the results of a recent survey. Of the 41 companies who responded to the questionnaire, 35 of them said they were “likely” or “very likely” to continue with the reduced working week, after the pilot ends. [More...]